1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a lever fitting-type connector in which a connector is fitted into a mating connector by pivotally moving a lever mounted on the connector.
2. Related Art
FIGS. 4 and 5 show a conventional lever fitting-type connector. This lever fitting-type connector comprises a male connector 1, a lever 2 pivotally mounted on the male connector 1, and a female connector 3 into which the male connector 1 is fitted.
The male connector 1 has a plurality of terminal receiving chambers 4 for respectively receiving terminals therein, which terminal receiving chambers 4 extend through the male connector 1 in an upward-downward direction. Rattle prevention ribs 6 are respectively formed on and project laterally from opposite side surfaces 5 of the male connector 1 at one end thereof, and extend in a connector-fitting direction. Bosses 7 are also formed on and project from the opposite side surfaces 5 of the male connector 1, respectively, and the lever is pivotally supported by these bosses 7.
The lever 2 includes a pair of right and left side walls 8, and an operating portion 9 interconnecting the right and left side walls 8 at their rear end portions. The right and left side walls 8 have holes, respectively, in which the bosses 7 are inserted so that the lever 2 can be pivotally moved about the bosses 7.
Projected portions 10 are integrally formed respectively on front ends of the two side walls 8 remote from the operating portion 9, and extend through the rattle prevention ribs 6 of the male connector 1. An engagement projection 11, serving as a supporting point at the time of pivotal movement of the lever, is formed on each side wall 8, and is disposed between the projected portion 10 and the boss 7.
The female connector 3 includes a hood portion 12 with an open top into which the male connector 1 is fitted. Elongate grooves 13 for respectively receiving the rattle prevention ribs 6 of the male connector 1 are formed in a front end portion of the hood portion 12. Engagement holes 14, in which the engagement projections 11 of the lever 2 are engaged, respectively, are formed through opposite side walls of the hood portion 12, respectively.
In this lever fitting-type connector, the bosses 7 of the male connector 1 are inserted respectively into the holes formed respectively in the opposite side walls 8 of the lever 2, and the projected portions 10 are passed respectively through the rattle prevention ribs 6 of the male connector 1, thereby assembling a lever assemble 15 shown in FIG. 5. Then, this lever assemble 15 is inserted into the hood portion 12, and the engagement projections 11 of the lever 2 are engaged respectively in the engagement holes 14 in the hood portion 12, and then the operating portion 9 is pressed to pivotally move the lever 2 in a counterclockwise direction (FIG. 5). Because of the leverage due to this pivotal movement, the whole of the lever assemble 15 is fitted into the hood portion 12, thus completing the assembling operation.
In the conventional lever fitting-type connector, however, the projected portions 10, formed at the front end of the lever 2, project respectively from the rattle prevention ribs 6 of the male connector 1, and therefore the lever assemble 15 interferes with the hood portion 12 because of these projecting portions. As a result of this interference, the lever 2 is pivotally moved in the counterclockwise direction, and is brought into an inclined condition as shown in FIG. 5, so that the lever 2 can not be pivotally moved.
Therefore, there is required a returning operation in which the lever 2 is once pivotally moved in a clockwise direction to be returned to its initial position. Therefore, for assembling the conventional lever fitting-type connector, there are required the step of assembling the lever assemble 15, the step of returning the lever 2 and the step of fitting the connector. Therefore, there are encountered problems that an increased number of assembling steps is needed, and that the assembling operation is cumbersome.